Heave, HO - Tough Guys

 Jonah and Charlie came to visit us this weekend.   Of course, the adults BS'ed while the kiddos played.  Of course, there was dress-up time as soldiers in camo, donning swords and guns of sort.

Then, it was time for oustide play.  They found all sorts of fun sticks (again, to use as swords and guns).  But, they happened upon a downed tree limb down by the lake.   They made it their goal to get that VERY HEAVY and awkward limb from the shoreline up to the house, so we could later cut it up and use it as fire wood for a bonfire.   We may or may not have cited  a few bucks as extra incentive.  😉

This thing was seriously massive.  There was a reason we hadn't dragged it up the hill yet.  We had planned to take the chainsaw to it, cut it up at the lakeside, then haul it to the wood pile.    These kids had other plans and they were determined to make it work.   It was quite comical for a while as they flustered about trying to figure out the process.   As they struggled, us [mean] adults chuckled.  I'm pretty sure Jonah cackled.

After minutes of frustration (by the kids who couldn't move the branch - and us adults who wanted so badly to just go help them... except for the long walk up and down the hill - no thanks!), they finally figured out the teamwork aspect. They found if they forced it at the same time, it would move (albeit inches at a time, but nonetheless).

They literally/verbally "heaved" and "ho'ed" as they moved that ridiculous dead limb up the hill.   They stopped for "air breaks" intermittently.

Once they made it up the incline, it was much easier to manage.

And, unbelievably, they manged to get that damn branch up the ridulous hill grade and underneath the deck.

We gave them each $10 for their efforts.  It was worth the lesson in teamwork, work ethic, and also entertainment by onlooking adults.